NUTCRACKER DRESS REHEARSAL SCHEDULE
Tydings Auditorium is heavily booked during the month of December. We only have Saturday, December 12th and Sunday, December 13th open to rent. We will be holding everything: dress rehearsals onstage and two shows on Saturday, Dec. 12th, so we can leave Sunday open for families to attend their church services. Saturday will be a busy and crazy day, but we can do it!
On the day of the shows (December 12th), please be prepared to attend a morning rehearsal at the Auditorium or have your child stay from rehearsal straight into a show (depending on the class and schedule).
Because of our limited rehearsal time at the auditorium, we will also be holding dress rehearsals at the studio during the week of Nutcracker. Classes will not be held at their normal times December 7th- 10th. Many dances overlap with other groups in telling the Nutcracker story. It will be very important for dancers to practice all together before the day of the show. They will also be practicing in costumes.
ALL DANCERS IN THE NUTCRACKER ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND THESE SCHEDULED REHEARSALS THAT ARE HELD OUTSIDE OF THEIR CLASSES BOTH AT THE STUDIO AND AT THE AUDITORIUM.
Dancers arrive to dress rehearsals at the studio prepped and wearing what they would as if it were the show- ballet shoes, pink tights, nude leotard, and hair done. No make up needed for Dress Rehearsal at the studio. Dancers will be practicing in their rented costumes. All costumes are worn over the top of the dancer's own nude leotard and tights.
Rehearsal Schedule at the STUDIO
Monday December 7th- at the Studio
4:30 - 8:30 pm: Dance Company
Tuesday December 8th- at the Studio
4:30 - 8:30 pm: Dance Company
5:00 - 6:00 pm: All Doll Baby Ballet in the Matinee Show
6:00 - 7:00 pm: All Doll Baby Ballet in the Evening Show
7:00 - 8:30 pm: Level C Ballet
Wednesday December 9th- at the Studio
4:30 - 8:30 pm: Dance Company
5:00 - 6:00 pm: All Tiny Toes Ballet in the Matinee Show
6:00 - 7:00 pm: All Tiny Toes Ballet in the Evening Show
7:00 - 8:30 pm: Level A Ballet- Thursday Class
Thursday December 10th- at the Studio
4:30 - 8:30 pm: All Dance Company
5:00 - 8:00 pm: Level A Ballet- Tuesday Class
5:00 - 8:00 pm: Level B Ballet
Friday, December 11th
Day off to rest before the shows!
Dress Rehearsal at Tydings Auditorium- Saturday Dec. 12th
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM: Levels A, B, C, & D
All Dancers in Levels A, B, C, D, and Dance Company in the MATINEE SHOW and EVENING SHOW.
Arrive at 9:00 am with everything they need as if it were a show. Hair and make-up done. See below "What to Wear" list. PLEASE DO NOT BE LATE.
Levels A and B are picked up at 12:30 pm and then brought back at their assigned arrival time for their assigned show (both shows for level B).
Levels C, D, and Dance Teams are to STAY at the auditorium in-between dress rehearsal and the Matinee show. Please bring a packed lunch and a water bottle. Dancers will get picked up after the Matinee show to leave for dinner and come back at their assigned arrival time for the evening show.
Doll Baby & Tiny Toes
Doll Baby and Tiny Toes dancers will NOT be having a rehearsal at the Auditorium on the morning of the shows. They will have their rehearsals at the studio the week of Nutcracker and a quick rehearsal at the Auditorium after drop-off for the show (before the show starts). Please do not be late for drop-off or your dancer will miss their rehearsal on stage.
AUDITORUIM ARRIVAL TIMES FOR THE SHOWS!
MATINEE SHOW ARRIVAL
- 1:30 pm- Level A Ballet Classes (1/2 of each class)
- 1:30 pm- Level B Ballet (whole class)
- 1:30 pm- Tiny Toes Ballet Classes (whole or 1/2 of class)
- 2:00 pm- Doll Baby Ballet Classes (whole or 1/2 of class)
- Levels C, D, and Dance Company STILL THERE FROM REHEARSAL
EVENING SHOW ARRIVAL
- 6:00 pm- Level A Ballet Classes (1/2 of each class)
- 6:00 pm- All level B, C, D, and Dance Company (whole classes)
- 6:00 pm- Tiny Toes Ballet Classes (whole or 1/2 of class)
- 6:30 pm- Doll Baby Ballet Classes (whole or 1/2 of class)
See "Class Splits for Shows" list above for which classes are in each show.
Please do not be late for drop off. Drop off is backstage of the auditorium through the 100 wing doors of Hobbs High School that lead to the band and choir rooms.
Drop off dancers completely prepped and ready for the show, wearing everything from the below "What to Wear" list. Hair and make-up done. Please be sure to have young dancers use the restroom before getting dropped-off.
What to Wear, Hair, & Make-up
What to Wear
What to Wear
What to Wear
All Dancers in all classes!
Costumes are provided by EPDA as rentals. Dancers provide the following of their own:
- pink ballet tights (with seam down the back for levels C and D)
- pink ballet shoes or pointe shoes if dancing en pointe
- Nude leotard- worn under all costumes, EVERY DANCER MUST HAVE ONE!
EXCEPTIONS-
- Level A Ballet that meets on Thursdays: No low ballet bun, all other above items are the same. Hair for Level A Thursday class in slick LOW pigtails with part down the middle (no bangs), ends of hair curled. Hair ties same color as hair.
- Party Scene Girls and Clara: No low ballet bun, all other above items are the same. Hair: half up half down, part down the middle with ends curled in ringlets. Hair tie same color as hair.
- Black Jazz Shoes- Boys in Party Scene, Fritz, Soldier Doll, Soldiers, and Battle Scene Nutcracker. All other above items are the same.
Hair
What to Wear
What to Wear
ALL DANCERS
Low Ballet Bun with Part Down the Middle
- Please use plenty of hairspray/gel so there are no fly-away hairs and hair is SLICK.
- With a part down the middle, slick back hair into a low ponytail. Twist ponytail and wrap around into a bun inserting bobby pins along the way. Use more hair ties as needed. Bun should be tight but as flat on the head as possible. After bun is made, wrap a hair net (in the same color as hair) around bun and secure with bobby pins. Finish with more hair spray. No large donut bun making tools.
- If a child's hair is too short or thin for a bun, fake hair or fake hair scrunchies can be put around her hair tie with a hair net wrapped and pinned around to resemble a bun, OR sections of the ponytail can be pinned in loops with a hair net over the top to resemble a bun.
- NO BANGS for older dancers in levels A and up. All hair must be slicked back. Doll Baby and Tiny Toes dancers can have bangs if they are shorter than their eyebrows.
Make-up
What to Wear
Make-up
Stage Make-Up: All girls in all classes (boys are not required to wear make-up)
All make-up can be lightly applied. Makeup helps bring out features from stage lights and distance.
- Foundation
- Blush
- Red Lipstick
- Black eye liner
- Light Brown or tan eye shadow
- Brow liner (if needed)
- Mascara
- For level C and D dancers: False eye lashes or heavy mascara
Additional Information
- Once the show starts, the front doors will be locked and there will be NO LATE ENTRY. PLEASE DO NOT BE LATE!
- NO DONUT BUN MAKERS OR OTHER LARGE BUN MAKING TOOLS.
- NO HAIR OR BODY GLITTER
- NO NAIL POLISH or FAKE NAILS
- NO JEWELERY EXCEPT FOR 1 SET OF PIERCED EAR STUDS ARE OK. IF WEARING STUD EARRINGS, THEY CAN BE SILVER, GOLD, WHITE, LIGHT PINK, OR CLEAR.
- ALL DANCERS IN THE NUTCRACKER MUST BE WEARING THEIR OWN NUDE LEOTARD and TIGHTS UNDER ALL COSTUMES.
- Please put your child’s name inside all dance shoes.
- A dancer’s tights are their underwear. No underwear needs to be worn under tights. They can be seen sticking out of a costume under tights.
- Be sure tights and leotards are clean and don't have any holes.
- No personal belongings or bags backstage for Doll Baby and Tiny Toes dancers. Dancers that have a shoe or costume change will be given a disposable bag with their name on it to put their shoes and 2nd costume in (May recital only). Older dancers bring their dance bags with everything they need, including a water bottle.
- No toys, tablets, or iPads backstage. Young dancers (Doll Baby and Tiny Toes classes) will have snacks, coloring, and toys to help entertain them backstage. Level A and up can bring card games if they wish to play with friends after they have performed their dance, but no games on devices and no phones. Level C and D dancers who have phones are allowed to have them, but they need to be put on silent and in their dance bag. Dancers are asked to focus on performing and put away any distractions.
- PLEASE HAVE YOUNG DANCERS USE THE RESTROOM BEFORE THEY ARE DROPPED OFF.
- Volunteer mothers helping backstage- All teachers will be backstage. We also greatly appreciate the help of volunteer mothers. Backstage help must be a mother of a dancer who signed up to help prior to the show approved by EPDA. No friends or relatives can help backstage. Please let the office know if you are the mother of a dancer in The Nutcracker and would like to volunteer to help backstage.
- Dancers cannot be picked up early unless there is an emergency. All pick-ups will be after the show is over.
- No video or picture allowed during the show as they are very distracting to other audience members and dancers. Please respectfully put all devices away and be in the moment and enjoy the show! A professional video will be taken, edited, and emailed to all parents through a downloadable link.
- After the Nutcracker we will be on Christmas break. Classes will resume the week of January 4th 2027. We do not charge any additional recital fees outside of tuition. Rather, December tuition goes towards recital fees. Recital fees help cover the cost for rehearsals, auditorium rentals, dressing room rentals, event insurance, lighting and tech. fees, video/video editing, and more. Included with December tuition will be a digital HD copy of The Nutcracker for every family. The video will be professionally taken and edited. After editing, a downloadable link will be emailed. The link will eventually expire. Please make sure you download it onto a computer, flash drive, data saving website, etc. before the link expires.
